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Last year, I set up a reservation at about this time for a May trip that started roughly Mid-May. I had wanted a trip earlier than that, but reservations were closed off until...I think it was May 13th. This year, if you look at the online reservations, you can't book anything prior to May 12th, and again, I'd like to go earlier than that....and I think its possible, but wanted to ask the question...
I think the idea is that the park opens for canoe camping as soon as the ice-out guidelines are met, BUT, since that date is unknown, AP has decided the earliest date you can make a reservation is May12th because they know by then ice out will have happened. Does that mean (making this up), that if ice out conditions are met on...April 30th, the decision is made to open the park for canoe tripping on...May 1st, and if you want a trip that early you better hawk over the reservation system, have a flexible schedule, be pretty fast on the keyboard, and be pretty much packed and ready to go?
Also, does the canoe camping season always start on a Friday or can it start any day of the week?
This just confused me to no end last year, and I'd like to understand it better this year. For the next six years I'm going to be picking up kids from college pretty early in May, right in the sweet spot of when I want to take a trip (after ice out, before bug-in).
Thanks for any input -
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To the best of my knowledge it is completely up to the discretion of the Park Superintendent as to when they open up backcountry (hiking or canoeing) camping. It could happen any day of the week but I don't think I have ever seen an announcement on a Saturday or Sunday that things are suddenly open. I'd also say that it tends to be less likely to be a Monday or Tuesday because there isn't nearly as much pressure to open early in the week as there is to open in time for a weekend. Overall I'd say there seems to be a habit of using Monday and Tuesday to "evaluate" conditions and then maybe make an announcement on Wednesday.
The MNR has also proposed changing the open and closing dates for Lake Trout to open on the 3rd Saturday in May and close on Labour Day. There would still be a winter season for some lakes, but of course that wouldn't apply to Algonquin which is closed to fishing all winter regardless.
and
Brook Trout would still open the 4th Saturday in April under the proposed changes.
Assuming those changes happen, I wouldn't be surprised to see the park move to an arbitrary opening date for backcountry canoeing of May 15th or so regardless of weather/ice conditions. I'll be really disappointed if that happens because that late April/early May trip is my favourite time of year to be in Algonquin.
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“Does that mean (making this up), that if ice out conditions are met on...April 30th, the decision is made to open the park for canoe tripping on...May 1st, and if you want a trip that early you better hawk over the reservation system, have a flexible schedule, be pretty fast on the keyboard, and be pretty much packed and ready to go?”
Yes to needing a flexible schedule, yes to being packed and ready to go (if you want to start a trip on the first possible day), but no to needing to hawk over the reservation system and be fast on the keyboard.
Some people will be waiting for the ice out announcement to start a trip, but the majority of people don’t have that flexibility and have made plans and accommodations for their already scheduled ‘ice out’ trip.
Last year I was in the park April 29th – 1st (the first weekend after official opening) and then again the following weekend on May 8th. Both weekends the backcountry was dead quiet, and I was at Rock Lake, Canoe Lake to Tom Thomson, and Little Island / Tanamakoon… all of which are usually very busy and popular lakes. I did see a few people, but checking the reservation numbers before leaving, and based on what I saw, there would be no concern about getting a reservation unless maybe you were aiming for a 1 permit lake like David or Phipps.
"Also, does the canoe camping season always start on a Friday or can it start any day of the week?"
Any day of the week. Last year ice out was announced on Monday April 25th, and the backcountry opened Tuesday April 26th. Here is the Facebook post announcement.
Keep in mind last year was the first year that this new process actually happened. The mid-May opening was implemented a few years ago, but with COVID related lockdowns, this past year was the first time the park had actually opened before the announced date.
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Thanks for the intel. Last year spring came early.
What’s anyone’s guess for ice out/ opening date this year based on the winter we have had?
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It typically all depends on the weather conditions in late March and early April. That said, in Ottawa at least we have about half the total ice we had last year at its max - curious to hear if that holds true closer to the park - I'm going with the ever popular "cautiously optimistic" =)
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yes, make plans for a trip but remain flexible ,,
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swedish pimple wrote:
yes, make plans for a trip but remain flexible ,,
This is the way. No doubt that ice out will be in late April again this year.
I went into the park on May 13 last year, the first date reservable online, and it was busier than hell.
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I was on 14 inches of ice on the Ottawa River yesterday but agree ice in Algonquin should be out early May. I'd be fine to see the regs change to open lake trout the 3rd Saturday in May with the increased fishing pressure. Personally I much prefer fishing for brook trout anyways.
I need to do a better job of reserving early for may long weekend, didn't get my lake of choice this year.
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I’ve been looking at the park ice out web page every couple hours for the last week lol. Lake of two rivers has lost a lot of ice in the last few days. Also the modis imagery from yesterday shows a surprisingly large area of dark weak ice both on Opeongo (east arm and south central arm) and Lavielle…even with more seasonal temps coming this week to me It looks like ice out April 28-29…
Moonman.
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I'm tempering expectations because of the last few years. Not only have they done the "Early-season water hazard" type warning (remember that after covid, when there were absolutely no bugs?), but they also only have a skeleton crew manning the access points. May not mean anything to the majority of trippers, but this is a government operation. Gotta check every box right.
I wouldn't be surprised if the ice it out before May, but permits won't be officially available until mid-May.
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Looking at the live images of Lake of Two Rivers....it looks like ice out could be early next week
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I wouldn't be surprised if the ice it out before May, but permits won't be officially available until mid-May.
I think once ice is out they will take about a week before they open things up.. just a guess.. hopefully ice is out this week and permits are available the last week in April..
Last edited by ShawnD (4/17/2023 8:30 am)
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I'm with Shawn, even under the current management the Park opens up within a few days of ice out. It's just that they define ice out as being the entire park rather than "the good old days" when they would open the southern portion when it was ice free even if some of the northern lakes were still frozen.
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There is a narrow time band between "Ice Out" and "Bug In". I've got a reservation that starts on 5/13....hoping I'm within that narrow time band....but not counting on it, I'll be prepared. Prepared with gear, prepared to whine (because everybody loves a whiner).
I didn't notice an "Ice Out" guessing contest this year (wasn't looking), but to me "Bug In", while less empirical, is the more important of the two, and could probably afford more entertaining contests.
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There is a narrow time band between "Ice Out" and "Bug In". I've got a reservation that starts on 5/13....hoping I'm within that narrow time band....but not counting on it, I'll be prepared. Prepared with gear, prepared to whine (because everybody loves a whiner).
I didn't notice an "Ice Out" guessing contest this year (wasn't looking), but to me "Bug In", while less empirical, is the more important of the two, and could probably afford more entertaining contests.
Last year around the second week of May, we were hit with an unseasonable heat wave which brought the black flies out a bit early. Nothing some spray, a bug shirt and some mental tolerance couldn't handle though.
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Those 4-5 warm days followed by the 15mm of rain last night did wonders. They made an announcement today that ice out is coming and that LOTR could be ice free within days. If I had to guess, I’d optimistically say that the park will open Friday April 28
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That's looking pretty out to me...
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